The savage criticisms and learned discussions all took place in the cheap and friendly Compton Hotel, Milford-on-Sea; feared tensions resulting from the hugeness of one or two (well, one) of the above Names somehow failed to materialize. Manuscripts were torn to pieces and flung in the face of the author, but in the most amiable fashion; virtually the only bit of exciting scandal was the Great Fire-Alarm Hoax which proved to be Ken Bulmer and Ken's pipe committing abominations near a smoke-detector. A micro-party at the weekend brought along half a dozen publishers' representatives. All these people, rather than hang about the writers' necks offering huge advances, preferred to play pool, darts, or drunk..." (DL)